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Historical Facts 



An Outline of the Salient Events in the 

History of Cambridge, Mass., for 

the Boys and the Girls of 

Our Beloved City 



By 
A Graduate of the Cambridge High School 




1914 
Newetowne Publishing Company 
Boston, Mass. 



COPYRIGHT 1914, BY CATHERINE NICHOLS 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



^TT^HIS booklet giving an outline of the 
JL History of Cambridge is respectfully 
dedicated to a gentleman whose ex- 
emplary life is modelled on that of the Great 
Teacher, and whose ability as an educator is 
recognized by all — Michael E. Fitzgeraldy 
Superintendent of Schools, Cambridge, 
Massachusetts, U. S. A. 



AUG 18 1914 



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PRINTED BY 

THE E. L. GRIMES COMPANY 

BOSTON, MASS. 

©CI.A380022 



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PREFACE. 

During the past year the writer of this pamphlet had 
the pleasure of listening to a number of short papers on the 
history of Cambridge. She was so impressed by the many 
facts brought to her attention on that occasion that she 
made up her mind to write, in question and answer form, 
a brief outline of the history of Cambridge, so that every 
pupil in our schools might have an opportunity to become 
acquainted with the growth and development of our city. 

It is an undoubted fact that a knowledge of the history 
of our birthplace inspires us with a greater love for it. 
Nay, more; it helps us to become better citizens of this 
great nation. 

It is very true that the children in our schools study the 
history of the United States. That is perfectly proper. 
In fact it is very necessary. But how few of them are 
acquainted with the early history of their native city? 
How many of them could tell when the town or city was 
incorporated, or what part the citizens of that town or city 
took in the Revolutionary War? Does it not seem as if 
local history were somewhat neglected in our schools? 

The main facts contained in this pamphlet are taken 
from Paige's "History of Cambridge," and from essays by 
John Fiske, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Oliver Wen- 
dell Holmes, William E. Russell, Frank A. Hill, etc. 

If this pamphlet helps to make the children of Cambridge 
more interested in the welfare and prosperity of their 
native city, and if it helps them to become better citizens 
of our glorious republic, the author will feel well repaid. 



There are some things to be resolved upon. We should 
keep our past. The history of this ground, the annals of the 
city, are to be remembered and taught, so that they may de- 
scend from generation to generation. — Rev. Alexander 
McKenzie. 



THE CAMBRIDGE HYMN 

Fair on the sight 

Dawneth a light, 
Heralding ages that yet are to he 

When every man, 

Earnest in plan. 
Steadfast for duty, life's purpose shall see. 
Noble the city, noble the state, 
When all her children, humble or great. 

Seek to repay 

Each in his way. 
Blessings unnumbered she lavishes free. 

Heirs of the past. 

We li'ill hold fast, 
'All of the lessons she teaches today; 

Giz'ing in turn, 

Thtis may we learn 
Calls of the future 7vith joy to obey. 
City of freedom, city of peace, 
May all our lives thy honor increase; 

Pledge we in truth 

Now in our youth. 
Gladly we serve thee as years pass away. 

—Emma E. Marean. 



For it is neither wealth, nor power, nor cunning, nor 
craft, that exalts a nation, but righteousness and the fear 
of the Lord.— From John Fiske's Oration in Sanders 
Theatre, Cambridge, June 2, 1896. 



HISTORICAL FACTS. 



What was the first name of Cambridge? 

It was called New Town. 

When was New Town founded? 

In December, 1630. 

By whom was it settled? 

By the Puritans. 

Who were the Puritans? 

A number of English Protestants who were dissatisfied 
with the Church of England, and who came to America to 
find religious freedom. 

What was the original purpose of the town? 

It was to be a fortified place, where the government 
officials might live in security. 

From whom was the township purchased? 

From the Alystic Indians. 

What was paid for it? 

The sum of about fifty dollars and an annual present of 
a coat to the squaw sachem while she lived. 

Did many of the officials remove to New Town? 

Though they agreed to do so, only a few built residences 
here. 

What historical evidence have we of the importance of 
New Town at this time? 

We know that the General Court met here from May, 
1634, to May, 1636, and from April, 1637, to Sept., 1638. 

Where was the original New Town situated? 

It was situated between Harvard Square and the Charles 
River, from Holyoke Street on the East to Brattle Square 
on the West. 

What was East Cambridge and Cambridgeport called at 
that time? 

They were known as the "Neck," and were used prin- 
cipally for pastures and farms. 



HISTORICAL FACTS 



When and where was the first meeting house built in 
New Town? 
In 1632, at the corner of Dunster and Mt. Auburn Streets. 
Who was the first permanent minister? 

The Rev. Thomas Hooker. 

What caused him and a part of his congregation to leave 
in 1636? 

They did not approve of the "religious test for voting." 

What was meant by the "religious test for voting?" 

It meant that only members of the Congregational 
Church were allowed to vote. 

Where did the Rev. Mr. Hooker and his congregation go? 

They settled at Hartford, Conn. 

Who succeeded the Rev, Mr. Hooker at New Town? 

The Rev. Thomas Shepard, who came from England in 
the year 1636. 

What special event took place October 28, 1636? 

The General Court ordered a college to be built, and 
promised the sum of two thousand dollars towards its 
erection. 

When was it decided to build the college at New Town? 

November 15, 1637. 

Why was it called Harvard College? 

As John Harvard, who lived in Charlestown, gave one- 
half of his estate ($8,000.00) and his library towards the 
erection of the college, the General Court, in 1638, ordered 
it to be called Harvard College. 

What new business was introduced into New Town in 
1639? 

Stephen Daye introduced the printing business. 

When was the first permanent school built in New Town? 

It was built in 1648 on the west side of Holyoke Street. 

About this time what new territory was added to New 
Town? 



HISTORICAL FACTS 



Brighton, Newton, Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, and 
a part of Tewksbury, Carlisle, Chelmsford, and Billerica. 

In 1655 what parts were cut off from the town? 

Bedford, Tewksbury, Carlisle, Chelmsford, and Billerica. 

In 1688 what part was cut off? 

Newton, which had been known as "Cambridge Village," 
became a separate town. 

When did Lexington separate? 

Lexington, known as "Cambridge Farms," became a 
separate town in 1713. 

What was the population of Cambridge in 1750? 

About 1,500. 

Where were most of the people to be found? 

About Harvard College, in Alenotomy or Arlington, and 
in Little Cambridge or Brighton. 

When did Arlington and Brighton become separate 
towns? 

In 1807. 

When was the original name New Town changed to 
Cambridge? 

On May 2, 1638, the General Court ordered that "New 
Town shall henceforward be called Cambridge." 

Why was it called Cambridge? 

When New Town was selected as the seat of the col- 
lege, the people naturally began to call it Cambridge, after 
Cambridge in England, where most of the Protestant min- 
isters of the colony were educated. 

Where was the new County Court House built in 1757? 

In the lot where Lyceum Hall now stands. 

What did the town of Cambridge have to say about the 
Stamp Act? 

In 1765 the town voted that it was an infraction upon the 
rights of Englishmen living in the colonies. 

After the Boston Port Bill was passed, how did Cam- 
bridge help Boston? 



8 HISTORICAL FACTS 

Cambridge ordered a collection to be taken up for the 
Boston sufferers. 

How did the citizens of Cambridge regard the duty on 
tea? 

They considered it a tax and were strongly opposed to it. 

How did General Gage act toward the General Court? 

He dissolved that body. ^ 

What was the effect of his action? 

It caused the representatives of the General Court to 
organize as a Provincial Congress. 

Where did the Provincial Congress meet? 

It met first at Salem, then at Concord, and finally at 
Cambridge on Oct. 17, 1774. 

What did the Congress do? 

It appointed a Receiver-General of the province, to whom 
the collectors would pay the province taxes. 

What was the route of the English troops on their way 
to Lexington and Concord? 

Going and coming, they went through the town of Cam- 
bridge. 

On that occasion how many lives were lost within the 
confines of Cambridge? 

Twenty-six lives, — six of whom were citizens of Cam- 
bridge. 

After the Battle of Lexington and Concord, where did the 
American army make its headquarters? 

It encamped at Cambridge. 

How long did the army remain in Cambridge? 

Al)out eleven months. 

What happened on July 3, 1775? 

Washington took command of the American army under 
what is now called the "Washington Elm." 

Name one Cambridge officer who distinguished himself 
in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. 

Captain Samuel Whittemore. 



HISTORICAL FACTS 



What Cambridge patriot sacrificed his Hfe in the Battle 
of Bunker Hill? 

Colonel Thomas Gardner. 

What effect did the encampment of the American army 
have on Cambridge? 

The town became a sort of fortified camp with several 
forts and a line of breast-works. 

Mention two places where forts stood. 

At the foot of Allston Street and where the Putnam 
School now stands. 

When did the American army leave Cambridge? 

After the British had evacuated Boston, March 17, 1776. 

What was the population of Cambridge in 1776? 

About 1,586. 

What important convention met in Cambridge in 1779? 

The convention that drew up the Constitution of Massa- 
chusetts. 

In 1793, were there many dwellings in East Cambridge 
and Cambridgeport? 

According to the Rev. Doctor Holmes there were only 
four dwelling houses east of Dana Street. The territory 
was made up of woodlands, pastures, and salt marsh along 
the banks of the Charles River. 

What enterprises helped to develop East Cambridge and 
Cambridgeport ? 

The opening of the West Boston Bridge in 1793, the 
Craigie Bridge in 1809, and the Prison Point Bridge in 
181 5, the coming of the Glass Works in 1814, the erection 
of the County Buildings in 1816, and the building of St. 
John's Church on Fourth Street, — the oldest Catholic 
Church in the city. 

After the population of East Cambridge and Cambridge- 
port had increased, what did Old Cambridge wish to do? 

The citizens of Old Cambridge petitioned the Court for a 
separate township. 



lO HISTORICAL FACTS 

Was their request granted ? 

No; because the majority of the citizens of the town were 
opposed to it. 

When did Cambridge become a city? 

On March 17, 1846, the governor signed the legislative 
act ; on March 30, it was ratified by the voters ; and on May 
4, the city government was inaugurated. 

What was the population of Cambridge in 1846? 

About 12,490. 

Who was the first mayor of the city? 

The Honorable James D. Green. 

What was the condition of Cambridge at that time? 

The streets were unpaved, uncurbed, unlighted, and un- 
protected from furious and reckless driving. Furthermore, 
there was scarcely any police protection. 

What was one of the first acts of Mayor Green? 

He organized the present police department. 

Did Cambridge then have a fire department? 

It had a V^olunteer Fire Department. 

When was this superseded by the present department? 

In 1847. 

In the beginning, where did Cambridge get its water 
supply? 

From springs located at Spring Hill, Somerville. 

Why was this supply discontinued? 

Because it was not sufficient to supply the demand. 

From what place did Cambridge get its water in 1865? 

From Fresh Pond, Cambridge. 

When was the Park Commission appointed? 

In 1893, by IMayor Bancroft. 

What was the purpose of this commission? 

To beautify the city by laying out parks, driveways, and 
playgrounds. 

What has Cambridge done to mark the historic spots of 
the city? 



HISTORICAL FACTS II 

It has erected tablets with suitable inscriptions thereon. 

What notable work did Cambridge perform in 1861? 

It organized the first company of militia in the United 
States for the preservation of the Union. 

Who organized this company? 

Lawyer James P. Richardson of Cambridgeport. 

What monument was erected in 1870? 

A monument to the soldiers and the sailors of Cambridge 
who died in the service of their country during the Civil 
War. 

Where does this monument stand? 

In the Cambridge Common. 

When was No-License introduced into the city? 

In 1886. 

Who was one of the most prominent advocates of No- 
License? 

The Rev. Thomas Scully. 

Has No-License helped the city? 

It has helped it wonderfully. 

What is the location of Cambridge? 

It is in the eastern part of Massachusetts on the Charles 
River; it is in 42 degrees 20 minutes North Latitude, and 
71 degrees 6 minutes West Longitude. 

What are the boundaries of Cambridge? 

It it bounded on the north by Somerville and Charles- 
town, on the south by the Charles River, which separates it 
from Brookline and Brighton, on the east by the Charles 
River, which separates it from Boston, and on the west by 
Watertown, Belmont, and Arlington. 

What is the area of Cambridge? 

Six and a half square miles. 

How many acres of Park lands in the city? 

About 328 acres. 

How many miles of water frontage? 

About five and a half miles. 



12 HISTORICAL FACTS 

How is Cambridge divided? 

Into four principal districts : Cambridge, Cambridgeport, 
East Cambridge, and North Cambridge. 

What is the population of the city? 

About 110,000. 

What makes Cambridge a great educational centre? 

The presence of Harvard College, Radclitlc College, the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a well-organ- 
ized system of Kindergarten, Primary, Grammar, Trade, 
and High schools. 

Mention a few of the famous men of our city. 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, 
Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Fiske, Asa Gray, Jean Louis 
Rudolphe Agassiz, and the generous-hearted Frederick H. 
Rindge, etc. 

For what else is Cambridge noted? 

For its many and large factories. It has about 340 fac- 
tories, representing 195 industries. 

What has helped to develop manufacturing in the city? 

Its close proximity to the Atlantic seaboard, its admirable 
rail and water transportation facilities, and its easy access 
to Boston, the trade centre of New England. 

Name some of the most important industries in Cam- 
bridge. 

Printing and Publishing, Bookbinding, Bridge Works, 
Rubber Works, Sugar Refining, Marble Works, the manu- 
facture of Bricks, Pottery, Furniture, Net and Twine, Or- 
gans and Pianos, Clothing, Soap, Telescopes, Confection- 
eries, Pumps, Reversible Collars, Boxes, Barrels, Carriages, 
Automobiles, Lamps, Machinery, Valves, Boilers, Woven 
Hose, Oil, Meat Products, etc. 

How is the City of Cambridge governed? 

By a Mayor, a Board of Aldermen, and a Common Coun- 
cil, as provided by the charter of 1891. 

Name some of the other officials of the city. 



HISTORICAL FACTS 13 

City Clerk, City Treasurer, City Auditor, City Solicitor, 
City Physician, City Engineer, City Electrician, Park Com- 
missioners, Commissioner of Public Safety, Superintendent 
of Streets, Superintendent of Public Buildings, Superinten- 
dent of Water Works, Superintendent of Schools, Overseers 
of the Poor, the Board of Health, Librarian, etc. 

How are the Mayor and members of the Board of Alder- 
men elected? 

By the men voters of the entire city. 

How are the members of the Common Council elected? 

By the men voters of the wards which they represent. 

What is their term of office ? 

One year. 

When does the fiscal year begin? 

April I. 

How many wards in the city? 

Eleven. 

How many aldermen? 

Eleven. 

How many members in the Common Council? 

Twenty-two — two for each ward. 

How are the heads of the departments chosen? 

They are nominated by the Mayor subject to the approval 
of the Board of Aldermen. 

How are the schools of Cambridge governed? 

By a School Board of five members, a superintendent and 
an assistant superintendent. 

How are the members of the School Board elected? 

Two members are elected by the voters of the entire 
city and three are elected by the voters of the three school 
districts into which the city is divided. 

What is their term of office? 

Three years. 

By whom are they elected? 

By the registered voters, both men and women. 



14 



HISTORICAL FACTS 



Education in the Seventeenth Century. 



In the latter part of the seventeenth century, there was 
no education for women in England. Ladies highly born 
and bred, and naturally quick-witted, could scarcely write 
a line without solecisms and faults in spelling that would 
"shame a charity girl." "Our forefathers were wise," said 
Lady Clarendon, in 1685, "in not giving their daughters the 
education of writing. I should be very much ashamed," 
she added, "that I ever learned Latin, if I had not forgotten 
it." The wife of President John Adams, born in 1744, said 
that female education in her day, even in the best families, 
seldom went beyond writing and arithmetic, and that "it 
was fashionable to ridicule female learning." 

Girls worked their way into the public schools as pupils, 
very much as women worked their way into the same 
schools as teachers. At first, the public school teachers 
were men exclusively. Towards the latter part of the last 
(eighteenth) century, the town histories of Massachusetts 
give us glimpses of women taking charge of schools here 
and there, in a sporadic way, at first during the summer 
months, and then all the year round. If women were to 
teach, it was meet that girls should study. Thus began 
the slowly rising tide of sentiment that women as well as 
men had minds to train and to use in a serious sense, — a 
tide that is obviously nearing its flood in Cambridge, since 
we have in our midst today — our fathers would have stood 
amazed at the prospect — women training boys and girls 
for college, and a college wherein women are trained to do 
it. — From a paper by Frank A. Hill, secretary of the Massa- 
chusetts Board of Education, 1896. 

The Witchcraft Delusion in Cambridge. 
There lived in Watcrtown a man by the name of Good- 
man Genings. He had a sick child and hired a woman for 



HISTORICAL FACTS 



15 



nurse. The child died, and the nurse testified that a Mrs. 
Kendall, of this community, had bewitched the child. The 
only apparent reason for thinking so was that Mrs. Kendall 
had come to the house in which the child was sick, and 
petted and made much of it. That night, the little one 
died, and the nurse testified that Mrs. Kendall had be- 
witched the little one to death. The pious magistrates, 
seemingly without so much as inquiry into the character 
of the nurse or calling the parents of the dead child to 
corroborate her testimony, put Mrs. Kendall to death as a 
witch in the public square of our town. But afterwards, 
some true soul thought to inquire of the parents what they 
thought about the affair, when, behold, they affirmed that 
in their opinion the death of the child was not caused by 
anything Goody Kendall did, for they esteemed her a good 
woman and a good friend, but that the nurse had neglected 
her charge, and that the little one died in consequence. It 
afterward transpired that the nurse was but a disreputable 
creature, and she was cast into jail, where she died, — prob- 
ably from privation. — From a sermon delivered by the Rev. 
Frank Oliver Hall, in the Third Universalist Church, Cam- 
bridge, May 31, 1896. 

Literary Cambridge. 

No town or city can ever be barren in the world of liter- 
ature which has two such names as these (Longfellow and 
Lowell) on its roll of honor, and can hold within its bounds 
two such shrines as Craigie House and Elmwood. There 
is indeed a double wealth of association about Craigie 
House which so heaps up the memory of patriot and of 
poet as to make each contribute to the other's fame. Dur- 
ing his lifetime, Longfellow made Cambridge, as Emerson 
made Concord, the port to which all craft put in that sailed 
over the seas of literature. His name is identified with the 
place, and the pages of his diary are set thick with the 



1 6 HISTORICAL FACTS 

names of men and women who lifted the knocker on his 
door. And now that he has gone, pilgrims continue their 
visit to the shrine. 

Scarcely less fit is the homestead of Lowell, set in an 
aviary grove, withdrawn from too close contact with the 
world, yet with paths which led Lowell into those nooks of 
life from which he drew sure knowledge of men and nature. 

. . . The attachment that Lowell bore to the town of 
his birth and best life finds expression in his verse and in 
that delightful paper on "Cambridge Thirty Years Ago." — 
Horace E. Scudder. 

The Purpose of Harvard College. 

In the course of its history. Harvard College has had 
three seals. The motto of the first of them was "Veritas," 
that of the second "In Christi Gloriam," that of the third 
"Christo et Ecclesia," and the latter is the seal that is in 
use today. A seal is a very sacred and solemn instrument. 

. . . It is the outward and visible sign of an inward 
and spiritual principle. To flourish a seal, to the pledge of 
which the user does not profess or propose to conform, is a 
species of dishonesty which it would be hard to excuse. 
Until Harvard College changes its seal, that seal and its 
predecessors bear witness to the ideas to which it is conse- 
crated, and those ideas are rooted in the evangelical doc- 
trines that centre around the Cross and are grounded in the 
doctrine of the Trinity and the related truths of the Incar- 
nation and the Atonement. "The Truth," the "Glory of 
Christ," and "Christ and the Church," these are the basal 
rocks on which our great university, historically, theoreti- 
cally, and professedly rests. Only as it is true to the func- 
tions set fjprtlnin tl^^sAJtewns, is it true to the intentions 
of its founclcrs. — From a sermon by the Rev. Edward Ab- 
bott, D.D., preached in St. James' Church, Cambridge, May 
31, 1896. 



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